“No. I wanted it,” Emily admitted.
“What do you want me to do about it?” Crystal asked.
“I know you said that Lars should be treated like a brother. I wanted to tell you before anyone else did because I didn’t want you mad at me,” Emily said.
“Lars and I will have a talk, but I admitted that I’d slept with him and that he was good in bed. As long as you were treated right and enjoyed yourself, I’m not your mom. All I’ll say is that you might want to figure out what it means before you jump into the sack with one or more guys in the future. Is it just fun, or is it more?” Crystal asked.
“I feel stupid because I knew they’re both players, but I felt hurt when they admitted that afterward.”
“Sex changes things,” David said. “I would be disappointed if you didn’t have some kind of feelings for both of them after giving them your virtue. I also have to
give them props for being honest with you. It’s better to know than assume there’s more there than there is.”
She looked at David and teared up.
“No, you can’t have my boyfriend,” Crystal said with a sad smile.
“I just wish he’d been my first,” Emily admitted.
“Me, too,” Crystal said.
“I remember my first,” David said. “I was a freshman in high school. Afterward, I walked her home, but she wouldn’t let me walk her to her door. She’d neglected to tell me that her parents thought she was too young to date and couldn’t see me again until she was old enough.”
“Did you wait?” Crystal asked.
“What do you think? I was a freshman who’d gotten laid and learned the joys of sex. But when she was old enough, we did go out. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the one, so it didn’t go beyond that.”
Then David remembered something.
“She did share that I have a big dick. The only problem was that when she announced it, my mom was there. That turned into a whole thing,” David said.
“Like what?” Emily asked.
“Having my mom tell me at least I didn’t have a pencil dick and then making me go with her to buy condoms. The parents of a girl from my school owned the drugstore. She offered to measure me to see what size condoms I should buy,” David related.
“I would have been traumatized,” Emily said.
“At least those two will keep their mouths shut about it,”
Crystal said.
“We’ll see,” Emily said.
“I’ll make sure of it,” Crystal said.
“Do I need to be there to ensure you don’t kill them?”
David joked.
“Would you really stop me?” Crystal asked.
“I guess not because I know they had to deserve it if you did,” David admitted.
“What time is it?” Emily suddenly asked.
David told her.
“I promised I would call my mom, and my phone is in my room,” Emily said and then left.
◊◊◊
When it was just the two of them, David asked Crystal,
“What do you plan to do?”
“I’m not happy that they tag-teamed her. I understand she was willing, but they both knew she was a virgin.
Somehow, that doesn’t seem right.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to Chuy because he’s been going a little wild, but it’s college,” David said.
“Did you go a little wild in high school?” Crystal asked.
David thought back and had to admit that he had. He probably would still be if it weren’t for Coby. That was a serious wake-up call, compounded when David learned of his other kids. He’d felt like a cliché until he held Coby in his arms.
Not wearing a condom had consequences you never thought would happen to you when you were a teen. He should have looked at Greg as a cautionary tale, but he honestly never thought it would happen to him.
“Is Emily on birth control?” David asked.
Crystal’s face ended up in her palm.
“I don’t think so.”
“Get her in to get the Plan B pill before it’s too late.
Believe me, she’s too young. If I didn’t have my family …”
“They don’t tell you what you might have to deal with as president of the sorority. Why am I expected to be their mom?” Crystal asked.
“Because you took it on, and I know you can handle it.
That’s one of the things I like best about you.”
“I better go deal with that. Well, now I know what our next chapter meeting will be about.”
Crystal left him to his thoughts. He enjoyed the solitude for a few minutes before going down to study.
◊◊◊
Chapter 24
Greg came over after putting his kids into daycare to help Cassidy start her day.
“What am I supposed to do with myself?” Cassidy asked.
Greg shook his head and said, “Nothing until you heal.”
They sat silently.
“This sucks,” Cassidy finally said.
Greg didn’t say anything.
“Before the accident, I had my life planned out. I would focus on rowing. School was so I could learn to run my own business, help David train, and when I graduated, I would join the Marines. Now, none of that’s happening. I just sit around, and at one, I watch David’s soap in the hope he’ll get naked. That’s it. That’s all I have to look forward to.”
“Maybe God has other plans for you,” Greg said.
Cassidy snorted.
“You sound like your brother when he doesn’t have an answer.”
“Recently, I’ve been going through something similar.
Now that I’ve graduated, I’m supposed to know what I’ll be when I grow up. The problem is, I don’t know what that is.”
“You’re screwed. You have three kids to raise, so there’s no room for error,” Cassidy said.
“Don’t remind me. That makes it all the more obvious I’m a loser.”
“What does God say?” Cassidy asked.
“He’s not sharing right now. My uncle told me to talk to David.”
Cassidy’s mouth curled into an unconscious smile.
“Let me tell you a secret. David is as clueless about what he wants to be when he grows up as we are. Except his problem is he has too many choices. I just wish I had one.”
The oven timer went off. Cassidy had figured out that breaded chicken patties and frozen biscuits cooked at the
same temperature and for the same amount of time, making breakfast easy. She pulled the cookie sheet out of the oven and tossed enough for two sandwiches on Greg’s and her plates.
“Grab the honey. It makes it better,” Cassidy said.
Greg found it and then helped her split her biscuits.
Having only one arm … well … sucked. ‘Sucked’ seemed to be the word of the day.
“This is good,” Greg said with his mouth full.
“So, what did John say David could do for you?” Cassidy asked.
“I told him I want to work with David like my dad and uncle do. The problem I have is he’s already done so much for me,” Greg worried.
“Something I know with absolute certainty is that if David doesn’t want to do something, he’ll say ‘no.’ He once told me he liked that I didn’t make it weird when he did stuff for me. David knows he’s been blessed and wants to help. You just need to get over yourself and tell him how he can help you.”
“Won’t it look like I’m asking for another handout?”
Greg asked as a shadow of annoyance touched his face.
“If you do it with that in mind, don’t bother. David has gotten pretty good at detecting bullshit. If it’s something you really want, he’ll recognize that, too. Just remember that if I learn you’ve taken advantage of him, I’ll end you,”
Cassidy said.
“Now, you sound like my mom.”